Colonial Capital Humane Society (CCHS) in New Bern, North Carolina is using a beautiful ginger boy in need of a forever home to raise awareness about FIV.
Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is a topic still misunderstood by many cat owners as well as shelters and even some veterinarians. Some states have strict policies in place about adopting an FIV positive cat or transferring an FIV positive cat out of state.
Meghan Watters, a volunteer at CCHS, said it well in an interview with Spectrum Local News
“Basically it’s an autoimmune disorder for cats. It only passes to cats. Humans can’t get it, dogs can’t get it. It’s passed through deep bite wounds so if he were to bite another cat he could transmit it to another cat.”
CCHS is caring for a young cat who was abandoned by his owner. His name is Gunner and he’s a ginger beauty in need of a home where someone understands FIV is not a death sentence. Gunner will need to be watched throughout his life for signs of illness and see a vet quickly (which should be done with ANY sick cat).
With the exception of being FIV positive, Gunner is a normal cat. He’s just more likely to contract illnesses more easily than cats who aren’t FIV positive.
According to the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, between one and three percent of cats in the United States contract FIV.
We’ve had several cats through the years who came to us FIV positive. None of our other cats contracted FIV because we were careful to adopt mild-mannered cats who didn’t fight. Our boy Brinkley made it to age 15 before he succumbed to renal failure. He was only sick with upper respiratory infections three times in the eight years we had him.
Our private veterinarian is in awe at how good the health is of all of our cats. I believe he still had the ‘old-school’ notion FIV was a death sentence. We currently have one FIV positive cat who looks perfectly healthy. We feed our cats good quality food and our special needs and senior cats get a vitamin supplement gel. My daughter catches any illness fast and we head to the vet.
Hopefully, Gunner will find a good home with a family who understands that while he may need a bit of extra care, he should live as long as any other cat. He can live with other cats and play with other cats. He can have a full life and the good people at CCHS want to make that desire a reality.
To adopt Gunner, you can fill out an application here.
